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Archived News from March 2005

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3rd March 2005 21:39


Palmer hopes to land job with a win
CHAD website
DESPITE a flu bug around Field Mill over the last 10 days, caretaker-manager Carlton Palmer is expecting everyone to be fit for Saturday's visit of muh-improved Shrewsbury Town (3pm).
And Palmer, who has also been under the weather with the bug, is hoping for a good home win and then to lose the caretaker part of his current title early next week with a full-time appointment.
"We have had some more brief talks about the job but things are so busy right now we will have to wait until early next week," he said.
"It's all about agreeing a deal and we are not far off one. Hopefully it will be concluded early next week.
"But I am in no rush. The chairman and I know each other and trust each other. He knows I want the job.
"We just need to finalise one or two things and then we can put the whole thing to bed."
Palmer is looking for a new striker after transfer-listing Derek Asamoah last weekend but believes it unlikely he will get one in time for Saturday.
He does have the possibility of bringing in a Premiership striker, thought to be Birmingham's Finnish U21 international Njazi Kuqi.
But Palmer said: "Steve Bruce has a Finnish lad we could take until the end of the season who they paid £350,000 for.
"But if he came he would expect to start and right now I don't want to leave either Richie Barker or Colin Larkin out the side.
"I have tried to bring in Andy Kirk from Boston but I couldn't match his wages which were at least League One and probably the bottom end of the Premiership."
An inter-squad training friendly this week saw several trialists make up the numbers.
An 18-year-old midfielder from non-League Kingstonians caught Palmer's eye. But 6ft 7ins Barnsley striker Fola Onibuje will definitely not be invited back.
Both Rhys Day and Scott McNiven also began their comebacks from injury and illness with some light and controlled involvement.
This Saturday's visitors Shrewsbury were comfortably beaten 2-0 at home by the Stags back in December when they looked likely to be relegated.
But four wins and a draw in the six matchesof February - scoring 14 goals in those games - have moved them to safety, 13 points clear of the drop with 11 games to and Gary Peters was short-listed for the Manager of the Month awards.
Stags are looking to end a run of two home defeats, despite good results away from home.

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Keith Curle Appeal Failed:
http://WWW.MANSFIELDTOWN.NET
Caretaker Manager Carlton Palmer has been in talks with club chairman Keith Haslam about making his position more permanent this week.

The move has finally come after four months of speculation whilst the club have been awaiting the outcome of the appeal made by former manager Keith Curle.

Curle's appeal which ended in failure has opened the way for the club to appoint a new manager and Palmer who has been operating on a caretaker basis has shown an interest in making the role a more permanent one:

"I have had talks this week with the chairman about the possibility of me taking on the job on a permanent contract so it is just a case of us reaching a deal and we're not far off now so hopefully things will be concluded next week" Palmer told the official website this morning.

With the whole appeal business dragging on for four months Palmer is in no rush to put pen to paper preferring to make sure that the appointment is marked by a properly drawn out contract 'so that everybody knows what is expected of each other'.

"I have known the chairman for years and we have talked about many things over the time and he trusts me and I trust him, both of us want to know from the outset exactly what is expected of each other, he knows that I want the job so it is just a case of finalising one or two things. And hopefully it will be all put to bed early next week. It has dragged on for four months now so a couple of extra days won't hurt too much" he added.

Palmer has put his media work on hold whilst looking after the Stags and realises that by taking the job permanently he has put himself a long way down the pecking order to return to the lucrative BBC pundits job:

"I love football and playing an active role within it. There was a big temptation to give the game up and work for the BBC put people around me told me I should do I what I love and that's football. I was offered a three year contract by the BBC giving me three years stability.

"I know that other people are finishing up playing this year like Teddy, Ince and a few others all harbouring thoughts of doing media work so this opportunity at Mansfield puts me a long way down the pecking order for work. But I have taken this opportunity and I now have to make it work for me."

Confident though that he can make a go of the manager's job at Mansfield Town Palmer said "I need a bit of time, I need a bit of luck but I will give it my all and all I ask is that the supporters give me a little bit of time. I will be going on the radio tomorrow evening (Mansfield 103.2, Friday 04/03/05) to answer the supporters questions. I will not duck any issues, answering them as fairly as possible. But they have to understand there are something's I am unable to say"
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Asamoah agent hits back
Thu 03 Mar, Teamtalk.com

The agent of Mansfield striker Derek Asamoah has hit out at manager Carlton Palmer's decision to place him on the transfer list.

The 23-year-old former Northampton Town ace was told he would never play for the club again after an incident before Saturday's 0-0 draw at Rushden & Diamonds.

Palmer has since revealed that was not the sole reason to make Asamoah available, saying: "He has shown total disregard for the management team, his team-mates and the club.

"And, apart from that, he is a centre forward that has only scored five goals and with the season over, it is not really acceptable."

However, Asamoah's agent Charles Collymore is angry with Palmer's handling of the situation.

"The pre-match incident was just a misunderstanding over travelling," said Collymore.

"Derek was travelling independently to the match and was there an hour ahead of schedule.

"As for the criticism of his performance, Derek has contributed nine assists as well as his five goals.

"I can't remember the last time a season finished in February, and he would have a great chance of improving that record in the next few weeks.

"Carlton Palmer has handled the matter poorly and it should have been dealt with internally."

 

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